TV reboots may not be all they’re cracked up to be

BY RYAN SAGADORE

Whether you like it or not, revival shows seem to be on the rise.

With the recent revivals of Full House and The X-Files, the trend shows no sign of slowing down. Twin Peaks is expected to return in January and Xena: Warrior Princess has also been announced for a reboot.

While the revival trend may be on the rise, it is not without its skeptics.

“TV has zero imagination,” said Tony Wong, entertainment writer for the Toronto Star. “Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but they want a sure thing. They’ve become much more conservative in their choice.”

Wong says that the reason certain TV shows become iconic is because they hit a cultural tipping point.

“It was all about a mistrust in your government,” said Wong about TheX-Files. That still exists today, but at that time it was a new thing on TV. Full House looked at the rise of single dads. That was its cultural point.”

According to Wong The X-Files had big shoes to fill, but he feels the groundbreaking sci-fi show couldn’t live up to its expectations.

Mulder and Scully in the 10th season of The X-Files.

“I thought it fell short,” said Wong. “You expected huge things with that writers room. In the past you had Vince Gilligan who went on to do Breaking Bad and Howard Gordon from Homeland.”

While The X-Files had a lot to live up to because of its innovative original run, Fuller House did not, according to Wong.

“If you look at the source material it was just a sitcom,” said Wong. “It didn’t really break new realm. The source material wasn’t that original to begin with so you just see the retread.”

However, not everyone is as doubtful about the reboots as Wong.

“I grew up in the ‘90s so Full House was a big part of my childhood,” said Brittany Young. “I’ve watched all the new episodes and I liked them. They’re super cheesy, but that’s the beauty of it. You can’t take it too seriously. It’s supposed to be corny.”

David Lynch’s cult classic Twin Peaks is set for a January release on Showtime, but you may not be confined to just watching it in your living room. Showtime’s CEO David Nevin has reportedly been working out a deal to screen the new season in theatres, as reported by the online music publication, Consequence of Sound.

Wong felt that the original series was dark for the time, but thinks that it may be dated now compared to modern TV shows like House of Cards.

“There are shows with so much gore now,” said Wong. “I wonder ‘What else could you give me?’ ”